Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-05-19
T0MBS NEAR P0MPEll.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF A VERY
RECENT DISCOVERY.


Traced Inscriptions - Cinerary Urns,'
Tablets, skulls and Bones.
In the year l120 the digging OF a well
revealed the existence of the ancient city OF
Herculaneum beneath the modern towns
of Rusini and Portici. The same opera
ton on the part of the owner of a vine
yard situated some distance % the east of
the amphithcgtre Of POulpeii led TO the
discovery. about six weeks ago. Of a street
of tombs running in a direct line from
Pompeii 10 Nucera. Taking advantage of
the visit Of IN archaeological friend OF
mine, who had just returned from a sci
entiilc ton To Pergamon, l accompanied
him aul Professor Sagliano, directors of
the excavations TO visit the newly discov-
eresl ruins.
The little space at present dug out has
BROUGHT 10 light, deep below the surface
of the ground. a tolerahly wide and well
made ancient road, Of a kin Of macadaIn
construction, slightly arched in the center
90 as 20 allow the rain water To run of,
and with a low earthly bank on either
side, on the top Of which are the seven
tombs recently eXcayated, four on one
side and three on the other. This road
run nearly due east in the direction from
Pompeii 10 Nocera, the portion now eX-
cayated lying about 1000 feet from the
Pompeiian amphitheatre, and IL is sup
posed that when IL is all excayated back
90 Pompeii "A city gate will be found at its
commencement. IL is also not improbable
that near the city il will be found to be
paved with lava, like the celebrated street
Of Tombs on the western side.
UNDER PuNcE STONES.
Should the whole be found to be as
closely lined with tornbs as is the portion
laid bare, il will be one of the most inn
portant discoveries lately made in this
part Of the world. Unfortunately money
is wanting and the excavation is going on
but.slowly. The ancient level Of the street
being here very low, the road is first COW
cred to the depth Of ten or fifteen feet
with pnmice stones elected from Nesuvius
during the greas eruption Of 1872. Then
comes a thin lay er Of ashes; then again a
stratum Of pu'nice about ten inches thick,
another thin me Of ashes, and over all
earth several feet deep. Just below this
upper earth we're found seven large stat
ues, which Lad evidently surmounted the
tombs beneath. On the road itself can be
seen the slight depressions or ruts caused
by the wheels of passing vehicles. The
tombs are erected on a straight line on
either side, and where one Is set rather
back il hasa low stone balustrade, which
keeps the lie and extends beyond the
tomb. probably inclosing a space pur-
chased for subsequent tombs, and then
the next tomb is again built forward on
the original line, Thus this little portion
OF ex awaited street has a neat and sym
metr cal appearance.
The first tomb ~excavated. being the one
nearest to Pompeii on the north side Of
the road, is covered with rude inscrip-
tions painted in red. one Of which is no
table; IL is an advertisement apprising the
passers by that a runaway horse has been
found Of such a size and color, and that
the owner may have IL by applying 10 a
smith from Nocera, at the bridge over the
6arno, toward Stabin. In fact. such in
scriptions are found on all the tombs,
which have evidently served as a public
newspaper on the thickly frequented road.
There are besides many graphites. One
person has scratched his name. with the
word Remember beneath. In one the
letter V is very interesting. from the fact
that it is marked with O dot in the fork Of
the V, which is "a Renaissance Of the Os-
can character.
THE INSCRIPTIONS.
Nearly all the rudely traced inscriptions
(which OF course have nothing To do with
the true inscriptions on marble slabs. that
denote the name and qualities Of the de-
ceased relate 10 Nocera. showing the in
fuence OF that neighboring town on Pom
pei. Ont Of the marble inscriptions gives
20 Nocera the surname Of Constantia, in
relation TO its faithfulness-a surname, |
believe, seen here in this connection for
the first time. One u the tombs had been
surmounted on its -four corners with stone
p~ineapples, interesting as suggestive Of
this style OF decoration as noticed in the
immense single pineapple said to have
crowned Hadrian's tomb in Rome. IL is
curious that in the inches Of one Of the
tombs stand two small headstOnes in.
stead ~ urns.
The statues, c~inerary uTns. loose marble
tablets, skulls and bones nave been de-
posted in the room 81 a country cottage
hArd 10y. all except one statue. which lies
prone upon the ground near the cXcava.
ton. and serves, by "a string passed round
its neck. tI hold fast the end Of q ragged
canvas stretched on a small tree as a
shelter from the sun-a mental Office 20
which, no doubt, the man who was Of suf
ficlcut consideration TO have a statue
never dreamed that his efligy would be
degraded, The full length statues are all
portraits, and evidently very good ones,
for each II III" fnCes is highly character
istic one elderly male figure has a fine
head and the mouth NJ An orator; another
Is q handsome young man Of Grecian
type; uIe Is a diguifed. old woman. grave
with years and honors, with deep lines at
the corners of the very peculiar and firmly
pressed lips, and a style Of dressing the
hair which reminds one Of the statues Of
Livih. Then there are, besides, a middle
aged and n young woman Of smoother
countenances, the latter with small, rather
pointed and pinchcd features. ON the
hair OF one 0f the male statues there are
traces OF color, and, ms the figures are
sculptured rather roughly in stone, the
style resembling that u Capua, IL il pos
sible that the whole figure was once COW
cred with paint. | forgot TO say that all
the tOmbs found are those Of free,lmen,-
Naples Cor. London News.
Travel on "unIucky" Days.